Mates: Warrior's Courage
by Kieran-Prince
Summary: Takes place in the Mates universe. Celtic Guardian is the outcast in his village. Black Luster Soldier is the hero among the entire warrior race. Although different, they find that there is mysterious connection between them.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This story takes place in the Mates universe. The chapter contains mild violence and blood. There will be shonen-ai mentioned in later chapters. Hope you enjoy the story.**

It was the middle of the night as Celtic Guardian patrolled the perimeter of the forest surrounding the village he lived in. Celtic Forest was a small part of the Duel Monster realm and because of that, there were few monsters that came to the forest for any reason. However, there were still some monsters who have tried to take over the forest and its dwellers but the Celtic Guardians fought back with all their strength. There have been plenty of close calls, but their warrior race has overcome any obstacle that was thrown at them so far.

And so, to protect their forest, a Celtic Guardian was voted each night to patrol the forest. Tonight, he had been chosen to do the task. He had probably walked the perimeter about three times now but he had about two more times to go before he could go back to village. He had been out here for about an hour but he wasn't ready to head back home just yet. He wanted to be alone for a while. Away from the disappointed looks.

You see, Celtic Guardian wasn't like his fellow warriors. He was a pacifist at heart. He hated the sight of blood and watching his opponents fall to their deaths disgusts him. Going into battle scared him more than anything else. And while he possessed battle scars just like the other warriors, he had much less then the others. He did have courage and fighting skills but he just didn't like fighting. But when he told his family about his "condition", they stared at him in disappointment and disgust before looking the other way. And it hurt him everyday when he remembers their reaction.

While he was in his thoughts, he never noticed that he had strayed from the path that was already set for him to take. His eyes strayed upward slightly before he did a double take. Noticing that this was a part of the forest that he had never wandered into before, Celtic Guardian looked around for any sign a familiar landmark. The sound of a twig breaking immediately put Celtic Guardian on guard. His hand stray to his hip until the tips of his fingers touched the hilt of this sword. A feeling of calm washed over him slightly but his guard never went down. He heard the sound of footsteps close by and Celtic Guardian gripped his sword now.

The next few seconds went by so quickly, Celtic Guardian was sure that all of it happened in his head. When his head finally caught up, he found himself pinned to the ground by some monster. In the darkness, he couldn't make out exactly who it was but he knew that however his or she was, he wouldn't be able to easily overpower them.

"What are you doing in my territory warrior?" The mysterious man growled out. By now, his face was close enough for Celtic Guardian to make out some features. The man had on armor all over his body and a large helmet that covered most of his face. The man also had long, blood red hair that flowed down into Celtic Guardian's face. Once he took some of the man's hair into his hands, Celtic Guardian's eyes grew wide in realization.

"You're Black Luster Soldier," he breathed out.

The man loosed his hold slightly. Celtic Guardian looked up at the soldier in awe. For all of his life, Celtic Guardian had always looked up to Black Luster Soldier. The warrior was a legend among other warriors. His father had always told him stories of how the Black Luster Soldier is the strongest warrior that roams the land, slaying dragons and saving innocent monsters from evil beasts. But nobody had ever been face to face with the mysterious warrior before and it excited him to be this close. For him to be in his hero's presence was a wish come true.

The Black Luster Soldier flinched slightly when he heard his name on the younger warriors lips. He had to admit, he was surprised that someone so young had heard of him, even after all of these years. After his last battle with the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, he decided that it was time to finally live his life the way that he wanted and so, he roamed the lands until he finally found a home in this forest. Until he was found by some kid who knew who he was. But judging by the look of awe on the boy's face, he would guess it was more than just knowing his name. The kid looked at him like he was some sort of hero.

Black Luster Soldier pulled his hair out of the boy's hands and stood up. He didn't want the kid going home and telling his family about how he saw the Black Luster Soldier. So he decided that it was best of just leave the boy here. The kid was obviously a warrior so his conscious would feel slightly better knowing that the kid had experience with fighting. He turned to leave when a hand snaked its way around his arm. The soldier looked down to see the kid looking at him with large amber eyes.

"What do you want kid?" Black Luster Soldier asked.

Celtic Guardian flinched at the harsh tone of the other man. The younger boy looked up nervously and removed his hand from the soldier's arm. He looked towards the ground, finding his feet very interesting right now. The older man sighed and took Celtic Guardian's chin in his hand. Lifting it up so that the two were staring right at each other, Celtic Guardian was able to clearly see his hero's face, even in the darkness.

The older warrior observed the boy, trying to figure out why he looked so familiar. "Kid, what is your name?"

Celtic Guardian jumped at Black Luster Soldier's sudden question and stared at the man with wide eyes. "Oh! I'm so sorry, I didn't meant to be so rude! My name is Celtic Guardian," he stammered out shyly.

Black Luster Soldier nodded stiffly. His guilt came back, this time twice as bad. The Celtic Guardian was a pretty average warrior without any special abilities or effects and that scared the older soldier somewhat. He sighed and stuck out his hand to the younger boy. He wasn't sure why he felt compelled to help the young warrior find his way home but if his head was telling him to do so, he would listen to it.

"Alright kid. You can come back to my home until dawn comes," The Black Luster Soldier said.

The younger warrior's eyes widened considerably before he blushed brightly. "Oh! Thank you so much sir! I hope I'm not imposing on you in any way."

Black Luster Soldier waved his hand, dismissing the younger's statement. "If you were imposing on me, I wouldn't invite you to my home kid. And stop call me sir. Just call me by my name."

Celtic Guardian blushed again. "Of course…..Black Luster Soldier."

The two warriors walked through the forest in silence, the sounds of the forest floating around them. The Celtic Guardian looked around the forest as he continued to follow the other warrior. He had never been in this part of the forest before and it interested him greatly. The trees were much taller then the ones in his village and the sounds of the monsters that resided in the forest sounded much more gruesome. A loud roar caught the young warrior off guard and he jumped. Looking around quickly, Celtic Guardian couldn't see anything menacing around him. For some reason, the roar was different from what he was used to hearing and it chilled him to the bones. And so, to be on the cautious side, Celtic Guardian walked a little closer to Black Luster Soldier.

Black Luster Soldier saw out of the corner of his eye as Celtic Guardian moved closer to his person. He had a feeling inside of him that the kid wasn't the warrior type and this proved his hypothesis. A simple roar rarely scared a warrior, especially one made by a Silver Fang. And while he understood why the Celtic Guardian would rely on him to fight battles, since he was stronger than him, he didn't understand why every single sound seemed to spook the younger warrior. The kid acted more like a fairy and less like a warrior. But as to why the kid wasn't warrior material, he still hadn't figured that out yet.

"You don't quite seem like the warrior type kid. Why is that?" Black Luster Soldier cringed on the inside at how insensitive the question sounded.

Celtic Guardian gazed up at Black Luster Soldier, surprise evident on his face. He bowed his head down in embarrassment and softly said, "I'm a pacifist."

The older warrior stopped dead in his tracks and stared at the other warrior. "You….you're a pacifist? How…how can that be? I've never met a warrior who didn't like to fight."

Celtic Guardian shrugged his shoulders and continued to walk. With his thoughts on what Black Luster Soldier said, his guard dropped. The menacing roar from before was his warning before Celtic Guardian was tackled to the ground. His eyes focused on whatever threw him to the ground and he screamed. A large wolf was staring straight into his eyes, as if he was its next meal. He could tell from the silver coat and the wolf's yellow eyes that it was a Silver Fang. Silver Fang growled low in its throat and showed its fangs to its prey. His instincts screamed at him to reach his sword and he quickly moved his hand down to do so. However, the wolf saw this and dug his claws into the younger warriors hand.

His screams grew louder as he felt sharp claws pierce his hand. The wolf other claw slashed his armor, tearing it to shreds. The claws came back up to his chest and scratched right through the skin, leaving behind several deep gashes. By now, a puddle of blood was forming under the young warrior. As the puddle grew, Celtic Guardian grew dizzy due to blood loss. The wolf sniffed he air, delighted in the smell of its prey. Just as Celtic Guardian was about to close his eyes in defeat, the sound of a sword being withdrawn from its scabbard could be heard before the weight that had settled itself on Celtic Guardian's chest was gone.

A loud whimper filled the forest before it was cut off suddenly. Black Luster Soldier stared at the wolf that laid motionless on the forest floor in its own blood before turning his attention to Celtic Guardian. He younger warrior had lost a lot blood and his house was too far away at the moment. Dropping his sword and shield to the ground, Black Luster Soldier pulled out a first aid kit from under his armor. He kneeled in front of the younger warrior and gingerly took a hold of his hand.

"I'm going to have to stop the bleeding and bandage up your hand for now Celtic Guardian. I don't have any spell cards with me right now to fully heal you so you're going to have to hold on until we reach my home," Black Luster Soldier whispered to Celtic Guardian.

Celtic Guardian nodded slightly and used all of the strength he could muster up into staying awake. He felt as the wounds on his hands were disinfected and wrapped up tightly. His hand twitched in pain and he looked at his hand. He felt as his chest started to burn and he tried to get Black Luster Soldier's attention.

The older warrior observed the other warrior's face, noticing when his face suddenly twitched in pain. Black Luster Soldier removed Celtic Guardian's torn armor and clothing. Several deep gashes were on his chest and Black Luster Soldier sucked in a harsh breath. He quickly got to work, cleaning and bandaging the wounds as best as he could.

Finally, all of Celtic Guardian's wounds were fixed to the best of Black Luster Soldier's abilities. He closed up his first aid kit and put it back in his armor. Looking back at the kid, he noticed that Celtic Guardian's eyes were drooping slightly. Smiling to himself, Black Luster Soldier petted the younger warrior's head. "Go ahead and get some rest. We should be at my home by the time you wake up."

Nodding as best as he could, Celtic Guardian dozed off. Attaching his shield to the back of his armor and slipping his sword back into its scabbard, Black Luster Soldier picked up the other warrior. Making sure that everything was collected and put away, he made his way towards his house, making sure to watch out for any attackers.

**A/N: This is an explanation for a few of the things in the story. The reason that Black Luster Soldier is using a first aid kit instead of spell cards to heal Celtic Guardian is because spell cards are extremely valuable in the monster realm. They can easily be stolen from him when he's in battle so he keeps them at his house.**

**The reason Celtic Guardian is ashamed of being a pacifist is because it is looked down upon for a warrior ro hate fighting. When Black Luster Soldier says that he's never heard of a warrior who was a pacifist, he was speaking the truth. Warriors are a race that have a need to fight like humans have a need to breath. Celtic Guardian is able to fight but he just doesn't like to and prefers other options to solve a problem.**


	2. Chapter 2

The first thing he felt when he woke up was a burning sensation in his chest. He tried to move his arms, only to hiss in pain when his hands started to burn too. A tightness was present around his hands and his chest. Celtic Guardian opened his eyes slowly and noticed that he wasn't in his room. He sat up quickly only to clench his chest in pain. Looking down at his body, Celtic Guardian noticed that both his hands were bandaged up along with most of his chest. The bandages were tinged a light pink due to some minor blood loss and he felt a slight irritation building.

"I see you're finally awake."

Celtic Guardian looked towards the doorway to see Black Luster Soldier. The warrior was stripped of most of his armor, just wearing arm and leg guards and his jumpsuit. His hair was hanging down, as opposed to in a ponytail. When Celtic Guardian noticed that he was staring, he smiled and ducked his head, a light blush dusting his cheeks. Black Luster Soldier smirked at the younger warrior's embarrassment and walked into the room. Celtic Guardian picked his head up and moved over on the bed to give the older soldier some room.

Black Luster Soldier smiled and pulled out the spell card, Monster Reborn. Celtic Guardian frowned in confusion.

"Why do you have a Monster Reborn card?" he asked Black Luster Soldier.

The older warrior watched Celtic Guardian closely before activating the spell card. A bright light filled the room, nearly blinding both warriors. The light faded after a couple of seconds, leaving behind only a sword. The sword was extravagantly decorated yet it was light as a feather. The blade itself was glowing brightly and Celtic Guardian watched in awe as Black Luster Soldier wielded it with ease.

"I'm going to use the sword to heal you," Black Luster Soldier said with confidence.

Celtic Guardian stared at the blade in disbelief before laughing softly. "How can a sword heal somebody?"

Black Luster Soldier held up Monster Reborn for Celtic Guardian to see. "Monster Reborn is infused with healing powers. And so, even though you aren't in the graveyard, Monster Reborn will be able to heal your wounds."

Celtic Guardian watched at Black Luster Soldier pointed the sword towards his hands before slicing the bandages. His hands were a deep purple and blue and the claw marks were still visible. Celtic Guardian shuddered at the sight and could barely keep his stomach down. The blade barely touched the grotesque wounds before a tingling stirred deep in his hands. He looked down in fascination as the discoloration and wounds faded away as if they were never there.

Celtic Guardian held up his hand, gasping in amazement. "I never knew that Monster Reborn could be used for healing. How come nobody else uses it?"

Black Luster Soldier shrugged his shoulders and said, "I don't know. I've know this secret ever since my father has taught me the hidden uses for spell and trap cards. It has been passed down in my clan for ages."

Celtic Guardian nodded and grimaced as the pain in his chest came back with a vengeance. He looked up at Black Luster Soldier in pain and the older warrior gripped the sword in his hands. He pushed Celtic Guardian down on the bed gently and cut the bandages across Celtic Guardian's chest.

Black Luster Soldier moved the blade to each of Celtic Guardian's gashes, each one closing shut. The younger soldier squirmed as the tingling grew. The awkward feeling suddenly stopped, causing Celtic Guardian to look up at Black Luster Soldier. The older warrior was staring at him in amusement. The sword in his hand slowly vanished, the magic attached to the spell card wearing thin.

The sword disappeared completely, leaving the two in silence before Black Luster Soldier sighed and sat down next to Celtic Guardian. He laid his hand on the younger warrior's shoulder before looking him in the eye.

"How are you feeling?" Black luster Soldier asked.

Celtic Guardian smiled shyly and said, "I feel fine. A little…..tingly, but fine."

Black Luster Soldier nodded and removed his hand, not noticing that his fingertips were lingering for a couple of second. Celtic Guardian however, did notice and blushed slightly. However, he decided not to say anything. The two sat in silence yet again.

"So…..why are you a pacifist?" Black Luster Soldier asked softly.

Celtic Guardian's eyes widened before he sighed. "It's a long story."

"I have time," Black Luster Soldier said, lounging on the bed.

Celtic Guardian smiled sadly before nodding. "Alright."

_It was nearing dusk and Celtic Guardian still hadn't found his target yet. As of late, his tribe had been harassed by a rouge Curse of Dragon. It was constantly burning down their forests and food sources. The death count in the village had reached an all time high, topping almost two hundred casualties. The elders of the village voted for a warrior to go out, find Curse of Dragon, and slay it._

_That was why Celtic Guardian was currently searching through the forest. He was know as one of the brightest warriors of his time, even though he was one of the younger warriors. He had the mind to be able to compete with the Egyptian Gods and then some. He could easily defeat a handful of monsters without breaking a sweat and could stay in a fight with some of the most powerful monsters, like Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Dark Magician. _

_The smell of burning wood reached his nose and Celtic Guardian ran as fast as he could towards the smell. A large fire was steadily growing in front of him and he stopped short. The sight that he saw was one that he hoped never to see in his life. Tied to a large tree in front of him was his younger brother. His face was smudged with ash and blood and one of his arms didn't hang in the right angle. He was barely breathing, and even so, the air that was coming is had to be mostly smoke. The crackling of the fire faded away in Celtic Guardian's mind, the only thing that processed in his mind was that his brother would be killed if he didn't do anything._

_However, before he could even take one step, a blast of fire flared at his feet. Celtic Guardian growled deep in his throat, glaring at the dragon as it gazed at him in smugness. Curse of Dragon was staring at his prey, roaring before taking off towards his prize. The dragon flew towards him at top speed. Thanks to his instincts, he was able to move out of the way in time. _

_Taking this time as his only chance, Celtic Guardian rushed towards his brother. He pulled out his sword from its scabbard and tried to slash through the tight ropes. The ropes didn't give and Celtic Guardian scowled. He aimed for the ropes again, this time putting all of his strength into his strike. Before he could complete his attack, he heard and felt the heat of fire coming from behind. Turning around, Celtic Guardian gasped as he was hit with a large fire blast. He flew several feet back until he hit a tree. _

_He blacked out for a couple of seconds but he could still hear the sounds of burning trees around him. He ignored the pain that accompanied waking up and opened his eyes. In front of him, he could see his brother laying on the ground. The ropes that had tied him down laid melted on the ground and burns lined his brother's body. Using all of his strength, Celtic Guardian pulled himself up and crawled towards his brother. _

_A deep roar that sounded vaguely like a laugh rang throughout the forest. Celtic Guardian looked up to see Curse of Dragon flying right overhead. The dragon was circling its prey, waiting until the right time to strike. Finding the right angle, Curse of Dragon roared one last time before flying straight towards the warriors. _

_Celtic Guardian sucked in a sharp breath, looking around for any sort of weapon. His eyes locked on his brother's sword and before he could even debate it, he pulled it out of the sheath. Celtic Guardian locked eyes with the dragon and smirked before throwing the sword upward. The sword twirled, slicing the air around it before slicing straight through Curse of Dragon's skull. _

_A pained roar ripped through the atmosphere before Curse of Dragon plummeted to the Earth. The ground rocked at the impact, causing Celtic Guardian to lose his balance. He looked at the dragon, watching in surprise as Curse of Dragon let out a laugh- well what sounded like a laugh though. _

_A bright light started to glow right below the two brothers and Celtic Guardian gasped before clearing away the dirt under them. He moved the dirt to reveal the corner of a trap card. _

"_Oh Ra, no…," Celtic Guardian whispered._

_He started to pick up his brother in his arms but the trap card had already activated by then. The ground underneath them started to collapse until a large hole started to form. The ground under them disappeared, causing Celtic Guardian to lose his grip on his brother. His arm shot out, trying to catch his falling brother and the edge of the hole but he only grabbed his brother's helmet. Celtic Guardian dug his fingers onto the side of the hole, trying desperately to hold on. He looked down one last time, seeing his brother fall into the abyss._

Celtic Guardian was crying by the time he had finished his story. Black Luster Soldier grabbed onto the younger warrior, letting him cry on his chest.

"It wasn't your fault that a trap was there. You didn't know," Black Luster Soldier whispered.

Celtic Guardian shook his head, still sobbing into Black Luster Soldier's chest. He sniffed and wiped his tears.

"It is. I should have been able to protect my brother. It's my fault that my brother is in the graveyard now. If I had just checked the perimeter, I wouldn't have activated an Acid Trap Hole," Celtic Guardian whimpered out.

Black Luster Soldier scowled before saying, "Did you lay those traps in the forest?"

"Well no but-"

"Then it's not your fault."

"But-"

"Are you just going to sit here whining about something that you had no control over? Something that happened plenty of years ago?"

Celtic Guardian had stopped crying by then and stared at Black Luster Soldier in outrage. He stood up, ready to tell the older soldier off, when he collapsed suddenly. He sank to his knees, holding his head in pain. The room was spinning rapidly and Celtic Guardian could barely focus. He felt hands holding onto his arms and he unconsciously leaned towards the touch.

He opened his eyes slowly, focusing on Black Luster Soldier's worried face. Celtic Guardian observed the older warrior's face, noticing for the first time just how handsome he looked. His eyes connected with Black Luster Soldier's and the two stared at each other.

Celtic Guardian leaned forward and kissed Black Luster Soldier's chin softly. The other warrior looked at Celtic Guardian in surprise before a glint entered his eyes. Black Luster Soldier moved his hands up from Celtic Guardian's arms to his face. They cupped his face gently and he moved closer until their lips connected.

Celtic Guardian's eyes were wide before they fluttered shut. He breathed in deeply from his nose and moved his lips slightly against Black Luster Soldier's. The older warrior responded eagerly and kissed the younger back. Celtic Guardian moved until he was on top of Black Luster Soldier. His arms wrapped around the elder's neck, pulled the two of them closer together.

The two of them broke their kiss, taking in a couple of breaths before reattaching again. Celtic Guardian was shivering in pleasure and happiness and Black Luster Soldier was in a similar situation. However, a sharp smell entered the room suddenly, causing the two to break their kiss again. Black Luster Soldier looked around the room, sniffing every so often before looking at Celtic Guardian, whom he noticed was pale.

"What's wrong Celtic Guardian?"

Celtic Guardian didn't move, his gaze locked with whatever was outside the window. Black Luster Soldier moved his gaze to the window only to freeze. A Curse of Dragon was right outside of his window and hanging out of its mouth was a warrior. Looking closer, he noticed that the warrior looked almost exactly like Celtic Guardian.

"Is….is that…," Black Luster Soldier whispered out softly.

Celtic Guardian nodded and said in horror, " Yes. That the exact dragon I killed that night. And that's my brother in his mouth."


	3. Chapter 3

Black Luster Soldier stared at Celtic Guardian in horror before his gaze flickered over to Curse of Dragon. The dragon was gleaming at the two warriors in smugness before he flew off. Out of the corner of his eyes, Black Luster Soldier saw Celtic Guardian shoot up from his spot on the floor. He turned his head towards Celtic Guardian, sucking in a sharp breath as he saw the furious look on his face. The young warrior started to make his way to the doorway when he suddenly collapsed to the floor. Black Luster Soldier ran over to where Celtic Guardian was laying on the floor and cradled him in his arms. The young warrior's breath was coming out in harsh pants and Black Luster Soldier cursed under his breath.

"Don't do this to now brat. Come on, get it together!" Black Luster Soldier shouted.

Celtic Guardian continued to hyperventilate, his breath coming in faster and faster. His eyes were starting to glaze over in panic and Black Luster Soldier scanned through his mind, trying to figure out some way to calm the young warrior down. Black Luster Soldier did the only thing that he could think of to calm the other down. He leaned down and captured Celtic Guardian's lips in a kiss. The young warrior froze in surprise and for a second, Black Luster Soldier thought that he had passed out-he REALLY hoped he had just passed out- when Celtic Guardian's lips moved against his. Happiness and relief blossomed in his chest and he broke the kiss, despite the fact that he wanted to keep kissing the young warrior.

Celtic Guardian took in several deep breaths before he slumped onto the floor in exhaustion. He placed a hand over his face and rubbed his cheek before he looked at Black Luster Soldier. He felt tears start to fill his eyes and Black Luster Soldier cupped his face. Several of the tears escaped his eyes before he could stop them and he saw Black Luster Soldier look at him in sympathy before he kissed the tears away. His heart clenched in happiness and he laid his head against the older warriors chest.

"Black Luster….what are we going to do about my brother and Curse of Dragon?" Celtic Guardian asked softly.

Black Luster Soldier sighed as he ran his fingers through Celtic Guardian's blonde hair. "I don't know. For right now, you need to calm down. Running straight into battle isn't going to help you, it will just get you killed," he said sternly.

Celtic Guardian nodded in agreement before he stood up. He held out a hand to Black Luster Soldier and the other warrior accepted the offer without hesitation. Celtic Guardian led them both over to the bed. He sat on the bed, moving over to give Black Luster Soldier room next to him. The older warrior laid on his side and Celtic Guardian wrapped his arms around him tightly.

The two stayed like this for several minutes before the smell of burning wood grew stronger. Black Luster Soldier moved up and opened the window. He saw a large forest fire burning right near his house and Black Luster Soldier cursed under his breath. He moved away from the window and signaled Celtic Guardian to get up.

"Come on. We need to stop this fire before the entire forest disappears," Black Luster Soldier said.

Celtic Guardian nodded and picked up both his and Black Luster Soldier's swords. He handed the sword over to the soldier and ran out of the door, Black Luster Soldier following right behind. They hurried outside only to stop when they saw Curse of Dragon right in front of them. The Curse of Dragon looked almost exactly the same as it did the night Celtic Guardian thought he had killed it, except that now it had a large scar on its belly area. Its eyes were no longer a hollow black but a blood red that haunted Celtic Guardian straight to his bones.

Collecting his courage together, Celtic Guardian stepped forward and shouted, "Where is my brother, you fucking MONSTER!"

Curse of Dragon kept watching the two warriors, making Celtic Guardian more angry. He was about to charge towards the dragon when Black Luster Soldier grabbed his arm. He looked back, his eyes flashing angrily. Black Luster Soldier just stared back at him with a stoic expression.

"Let. Me. GO!" Celtic Guardian growled out menacingly.

Black Luster Soldier growled back and grabbed the younger warrior's other arm. Pulling a rope out of his armor, he tied Celtic Guardian's arms together tightly and laid him on the ground. Black Luster Soldier removed the younger warrior's sword from its scabbard and threw it a couple of feet away to where Celtic Guardian couldn't reach it.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" Celtic Guardian screamed, thrashing around as he tried to get out of the bonds.

"You are not in your right mind. If I were to let you charge into battle with anger blinding you, would be sent to the graveyard faster than you could even think to kill Curse of Dragon," Black Luster Soldier stated nonchalantly.

Celtic Guardian continued to scream and shout while Black Luster Soldier ignored him. He knew that for now, Celtic Guardian was much safer tied up away from battle than he was charging into battle without any common sense. But just for safe measure, he activated Mirror Force to keep Celtic Guardian where he placed him and to block any of the dragon's attacks. He turned back to Curse of Dragon, where it was flying around while still watching the warriors.

Curse of Dragon let out a loud roar before it charged towards him at top speed. Black Luster Soldier bent his knees and launched himself into a dash. Curse of Dragon unleashed a blast of fire, nearly catching the older soldier off guard. Black Luster Soldier withdrew his sword from his scabbard and used it as a shield against the fire blast. The tips of his fingers were getting burnt but he ignored the sharp pain. The force of the blast forced him onto his knees but he kept up his make-shift shield. Just when the heat and power of the fire blast was about to cause Black Luster Soldier to collapse, the blast fizzled out.

Black Luster Soldier stayed on his knees for several seconds, observing the burns on his fingertips. The skin was completely red and it was peeling in several places. The burns hurt badly, but he knew they weren't that bad. He turned his attention to Curse of Dragon, glaring at the dragon. He stood up and tried to find a way to grip his sword that wouldn't irritate the burns.

Looking back briefly, Black Luster Soldier saw that Mirror Force was still holding up strong. His eyes locked with Celtic Guardian's and he felt his heart clench at the pained look on his face. He clenched his eyes closed and turned away from the younger warrior. He looked back to where Curse of Dragon was, only to freeze when he saw that the dragon wasn't there anymore. The entire forest was silent except for the crackling of the forest fire.

Black Luster Soldier looked around the forest before turning back to Celtic Guardian. He opened his mouth to ask the other warrior where Curse of Dragon flew off to when he was suddenly consumed by a wave of flames. His screamed as pain shot through his entire body. He collapsed to his knees, unable to take the intense heat. He felt as his skin started to bubble in the heat and he wrapped his arms around himself, trying to keep the fire from burning his body but with little success.

"BLACK LUSTER!" Celtic Guardian shouted out at the top of his lungs.

Black Luster Soldier moved his head to where Celtic Guardian was trapped and the two stared at each other. Even though he knew that moving would possibly end up injuring himself further, Black Luster Soldier started to inch his way over to the younger warrior. His legs were trembling dangerously and he could barely stop himself from stumbling. The fire was starting to go out slowly but his body still felt as if it were burning intensely.

His legs gave out from under him and he couldn't stop himself from falling onto his knees. He stared blankly at Celtic Guardian, whom was now banging on the force field around him.

"…..destroy…the…c-card….," Black Luster Soldier wheezed out softly.

Celtic Guardian flinched at how rough Black Luster Soldier's voice sounded but he pushed that to the back of his mind and dug up the ground underneath him. He kept digging, his hands working faster as he saw how weak the older soldier was becoming. He finally saw the purple hue of the trap card trapping him and he cheered inwardly before pulling out the trap card.

He looked around for his sword to rid of the trap card when he froze. He looked behind his back and curse under his breath. His sword was lying a several feet away from his position, outside of the force field. He threw his fist to the ground, about to cry when he heard a loud ripping sound. He looked at the trap card in his hand that was ripped almost halfway down the middle. Celtic Guardian breathed out a sigh of relief before he torn the rest of the card in half.

The force field around him shook the ground harshly before it shattered all around him. Celtic Guardian ducked his head, hissing as pieces of the shield flew by him. A loud groan followed by a choking cough brought Celtic Guardian out of his stupor. He looked up, his attention immediately on Black Luster Soldier and he stood up quickly. He took a few steps towards Celtic Guardian when he found that he couldn't move his legs. He looked down and saw that he had set off the trap card, Bear Trap. He cursed under his breath again and tried to move when the trap suddenly activated, the trap clamping shut over his ankles, cutting deeply into his flesh. Blood poured out his ankles and he lost his balance quickly.

Celtic Guardian fell to the ground, groaning as his face collided with the ground. A roar suddenly echoed throughout the forest. He looked up to the sky, spotting where Curse of Dragon was hiding. The dragon had an arrogance floating around it and it stared at the two warriors before diving down towards the earth. Celtic Guardian felt a slight case of déjà vu before he shook his head. He blinked his eyes several times, each time his vision getting worse. A dizzy spell fell to Celtic Guardian and he could barely hold his head up now.

His vision blurred once more, before it cleared up again. This time, he was staring at Curse of Dragon as it charged towards himself and Black Luster Soldier. Celtic Guardian weakly turned his head towards the older warrior and reached his hand out to try and touch him. The tip of his middle finger grazed over Black Luster Soldier face and he still felt warmth under his fingertip, which made Celtic Guardian breath a little bit easier.

He looked back up one more time at Curse of Dragon before he closed his eyes in defeat. He took in one more breath and whispered out his prayers, most of which were for Black Luster Soldier. However, a loud roar interrupted his last wishes and his eyes snapped open before they closed quickly. He felt a warm liquid pour onto his face and Celtic Guardian shook his face to get it off. He opened his eyes and moved his hands onto his face, dragging his fingers through the mess. He pulled his fingers away and gasped as he saw dragon blood on his fingers.

Celtic Guardian tried to get up only to hiss in pain as the trap around his ankles made itself known again. Looking down, he moved his hands to the trap and braced himself before he slowly pulled the trap apart. His hands were trembling, whether it was because of fear or blood loss, he wasn't exactly sure. He pulled the trap a couple more centimeters until the trap was completely out of his flesh. The rest of the blood that had been blocked by the jaws of the trap flowed out and Celtic Guardian barely moved away from the trap before it snapped shut.

He scooted as far away from the trap as he could without straining his injuries. He observed his injuries, hissing at how mangled his ankles looked. They were completely red and most of the skin on his ankles was either ripped apart or ripped competely off. He then looked up to see Curse of Dragon slumped on the ground, almost in the same fashion it was years ago. However, instead of the dragon staying where it was like before, this time it vanished into thin air. Celtic Guardian tensed and looked around, holding his breath in fear.

A figure moved out of the corner of his eye and Celtic Guardian jumped back and nearly screamed. His brother was standing about a couple yards away, dressed in the same outfit that he died in. The injuries that he sustained were also present but instead of a hollow expression on his face, a gentle smile was present. Celtic Guardian felt tears streaming his face and he tried to choke back a sob.

"Brother?" Celtic Guardian whispered out hopefully.

His brother smiled wider and nodded his head. Celtic Guardian laughed and started to cry in happiness before he held out his arms. The two brothers hugged each other tightly until Celtic Guardian moved away slowly.

"How….how are you even here?" he asked curiously.

His brother placed his hand on his shoulder and gazed into his eyes. "Ra decided that you need someone or something to lift the guilt of my death off of your shoulders. And while Black Luster Soldier had helped somewhat, Ra knew that it wasn't enough. So he temporarily revived me."

Celtic Guardian smiled and nodded before freezing. "Wait. What do you mean 'temporarily'?" he asked.

His younger brother smiled grimly and took his older brother's hand in his. "Just what I said. Brother, I know you want me to stay but I died. It was my time to pass on and if I were to defy that, who knows what could happen. I….I know you need me but I'll always be in your thoughts," he said softly.

Celtic Guardian's shoulders slumped in defeat. He knew what his brother said was true and he didn't have any say in it. He looked at his brother and hugged him one more time. The two brothers stayed like this for sometime before his younger brother felt a pull in his stomach. He pulled away and looked at his brother in sadness.

"I have to go now. Please brother, don't let my trip be in vain. That night years ago wasn't your fault. You didn't wish for that to happen to me and I know you tried your hardest to save me and that's all I want," he said.

Celtic Guardian nodded in agreement and finally felt a tremendous weight leave his shoulders. He looked over to Black Luster Soldier and gasped. He had forgotten all about the other warrior and now he could be dead too. Before he could freak out though, his brother laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry brother. He is just asleep. I've healed his life-threatening injuries, so all you need to do is treat a couple of his burns and make sure he get plenty of water and rest."

Celtic Guardian sighed in relief before he smiled at his brother one last time. The air around the two brothers grew warmer before his brother disappeared before his eyes. Celtic Guardian stood in the same spot for several more seconds before letting the rest of his tears fall.

**A/N: There will probably one or two more chapters until I finish this story. Thank you to anybody currently reading this and following the storyline. **

**Now to explain a couple of things. Now normally Black Luster Soldier would easily defeat Curse of Dragon (Black Luster Soldier has 3000 attack and Curse of Dragon has 2000 attack) but...I had to find some way to injure him. I didn't actually think this far ahead, as you probably guessed. So Curse of Dragon probably was able to beat Black Luster Soldier because he had an equip card. That's the only explaination I can give.**

**And for anybody who was wondering about the trap cards. As you have noticed in the story, I manipulate the effects of the spell and trap cards to fit my needs while still staying in the bounds of what the spell/trap card really does. I used Mirror Force as a force field cause it does look like a force field. As for why it stayed on the field...because it wouldn't have been useful if I had gotten rid of it 5 minutes later XD. And Bear Trap destroys a monster that has an attack of 2000 or below. I didn't want to kill off Celtic Guardian though, so...yeah.**


	4. Chapter 4

Light flooded into the room and Celtic Guardian tilted his face away from the ray of light hitting directly into his face. He turned to his side and tried to fall back asleep but to no avail. His eyes slowly opened before he closed his eyes, hissing at how bright the room was. He opened his eyes again, this time prepared for the brightness. He took in the room around him and for a second, he freaked out when he noticed that he wasn't in his room before memories of what happened came back to him. Memories of Black Luster Soldier injured, his brother revived from the dead to quell his guilt, Black Luster Soldier being healed and then blacking out. He sighed in relief and looked down at the bed.

Celtic Guardian frowned in confusion when he realized that Black Luster Soldier wasn't in the bed with him. He knew that the other was in worse condition than he was before he blacked out. He looked around the room but saw nothing that hinted where the older warrior could have possibly gone to. He tilted his head up slightly when he heard the sound of pans banging against each other in the kitchen. Celtic Guardian cursed to himself and quickly moved out to the bed only to collapse to the floor in pain. He moaned and grabbed a hold of his ankles tightly. He hissed as he felt a burning tightness moving down to his ankles and he couldn't stop a wail of pain form leaving his mouth.

He vaguely heard the sound of something falling to the floor followed by footsteps running down the hall. The door slammed open and Celtic Guardian looked up to see Black Luster Soldier standing right over him with a concerned look on his face. He also saw a sliver of guilt floating in his eyes before it disappeared as if it wasn't there. The older warrior picked Celtic Guardian up gently and carried him back to the bed. He was lowered onto the bed and he moved over until he was in a position that didn't irritate his ankles. Black Luster Soldier then checked the younger warrior's ankles and feet to make sure there wasn't permanent damage done. Sighing in relief, the soldier walked towards the bathroom.

Celtic Guardian watched as Black Luster Soldier walked into the bathroom and rustled around the cabinet until he walked back into the bedroom carrying bandages, rubbing alcohol, and some healing ointment. He kneeled down and cradled Celtic Guardian's ankle in his hands. He poured some of the alcohol directly on the wound, causing the young warrior to hiss loudly in pain. Black Luster Soldier blew gently on the wound, making some of the burn from the alcohol go away.

The next few minutes were spent in silence as Black Luster Soldier patched up Celtic Guardian's wounds. In those minutes, the younger warrior had tried to make conversation with Black Luster Soldier only to find himself ignored. This little fact both disturbed and angered him because he was well aware of the fact that the older warrior could easily multi-task, even when he was bandaging up Celtic Guardian. When the older soldier finally finished redoing the bandages, he stood and his eyes locked with the younger warrior. The two stared at each other before Black Luster Soldier turned to leave the room. Before he could stop himself, Celtic Guardian shot his hand out to grab the other's hand.

The two froze in surprise before Black Luster Soldier looked back at Celtic Guardian with a guarded expression on his face. The younger warrior looked at Black Luster Soldier in worry and tried to pull him closer but the older warrior slipped out of his grasp before nearly running out of the room.

"What in the world…?" Celtic Guardian whispered to himself.

Black Luster Soldier quickly walked back to the kitchen before he collapsed in the closest chair he could find. He rested his head against the table and sighed. He knew that what he just did was stupid and that Celtic Guardian would possibly injure himself even more just to find out what was wrong with him but he would have to take that chance. After everything he had done to the young warrior, he didn't deserve to have him as his mate. He had almost gotten the both of them killed, not to mention possibly risking the lives of the other monsters in the forest. But the fact that his mind went through a lapse in judgement that could have resulted in the death of either of them, more so Celtic Guardian, was unforgivable. And so, once he was sure the younger warrior was completely healed, he would make sure he would never burden the younger warrior again.

[Time Skip]

Five days had passed since Black Luster Soldier had walked off so abruptly and it still didn't sit well with Celtic Guardian. His ankles had fully healed about two days ago but he noticed that as the days passed, the older warrior was coming into the room more and more just to check his ankles. After a while, he started to notice the dull, weary look in Black Luster Soldier's eyes and he knew exactly what the other was planning to do after that. He had guessed after the first day when he saw the guilt in Black Luster Soldier that the older soldier had blamed himself for his injury, even though he had nothing to do with it. And even if he did, Celtic Guardian doubted that he would even be able to blame the other. But he knew that the older warrior would just continue to blame himself until he said something. He had seen a lot in his years, and he knew what happened to people who thought they were the cause of a tragic accident- well, he should know, since he went through it too.

The door opened and Black Luster Soldier walked into the room with the same guarded expression as before. Celtic Guardian sighed inwardly and put on a fake smile. The older warrior just ignored him and examined his ankle yet again. This time however, his grip was much tighter than before. The younger warrior hissed silently as Black Luster continued to dig his fingers deep into the tender muscle that was still sore. A flash went through Black Luster Soldier's eyes and he snapped his head up to Celtic Guardian.

"How long have you been healed?" Black Luster Soldier growled out.

Celtic Guardian froze and looked down into the older warrior's angry face. Celtic Guardian knew that the ruse that he had been putting up wouldn't last forever but he had no idea that the other warrior would see through it so quickly. Fear started to appear in the air around him and he had to take in several deep breaths to stop himself from shaking. Black Luster Soldier saw through that and stood up quickly. Celtic Guardian flinched back and looked at the older warrior as he stalked slowly towards him.

"When did you HEAL!" Black Luster Soldier shouted.

Celtic Guardian jumped in fear at Black Luster's sudden exclamation. He scooted back further on the bed, trying to somehow get away from the other warrior. Black Luster Soldier grabbed his ankle tightly and dragged him to the edge of the bed so that they were face to face. Anger flashed in the older warrior's eyes and Celtic Guardian swallowed deeply.

"Boy, I will NOT repeat myself again. Now ANSWER ME!" Black Luster Soldier was standing straight up, looking even more threatening to Celtic Guardian.

Celtic Guardian took in one last breath before he stared defiantly at Black Luster Soldier. "I healed two days ago," he said.

The next few seconds were a blur for both warriors but once their minds caught up with their bodies, Celtic Guardian found himself under Black Luster Soldier, pinned to the ground. His eyes were squeezed tight and he was too afraid to see the other's expression. The sound of a choked sob caused him to slowly open his eyes. He looked up, gasping silently as he saw tears falling from the older warrior's eyes. A look of anguish was on Black Luster's face and he could barely stop the tears in his eyes from falling. A stray tear was able to escape his defenses however, and it burned a trail down his cheek before it detached tear fell on Celtic Guardian's cheek and the younger warrior could barely stop himself from crying. The two warriors stayed where they were for the next few minutes, the both of them trying to hold themselves together.

Black Luster Soldier eventually relinquished his grasp on Celtic Guardian wrists and said softly, "Why didn't you just tell me?"

Celtic Guardian couldn't stop himself from scoffing and remarked, "Well, I'm sorry if I got the impression that you wanted nothing to do with me. Fine, you know what, I'll just get out of your hair and leave you alone!"

He stood up and grabbed his sword that was resting up against the wall and made his way to the door when he was suddenly pulled back onto the floor. He groaned as his back collided with the floor and he saw Black Luster Soldier towering over him. Celtic Guardian scowled and tried to push Black Luster Soldier off of him, but to no avail. He kept up his struggle for a couple more seconds but when he saw that it was doing little good in his favor, he slumped in defeat. He glared up to the older warrior in anger.

"So what? _Now_ you want me here?" he said sarcastically.

Black Luster Soldier winced but refused to let go of the other just yet. He continued to just stare at Celtic Guardian, which caused the younger warrior to squirm. Black Luster Soldier knew that we was acting crazy right now, but for some reason, his body refused to listen to his mind. He looked at Celtic Guardian, who was staring at him in outrage and impatience. He averted the other's gaze and just closed his eyes.

"What the hell is wrong with you Black Luster?" Celtic Guardian asked quietly.

Black Luster Soldier looked into Celtic Guardian's eyes and shook his head. The younger warrior sighed in defeat and yet again started up his struggle to get free. This time, Black Luster Soldier let him get up and watched as the younger warrior sprinted out of the room. After the warrior disappeared down the hall, Black Luster Soldier slumped to the floor in defeat and this time, he didn't even try to stop the tears in his eyes from falling.

In the other room, Celtic Guardian listened with a heavy heart at the sobs coming from the bedroom. He sighed and slid to the floor, guilt eating him up on the inside. He knew that what he did was pretty much what Black Luster did to him and he knew how it felt when it happened to him. But he wasn't even thinking when he did that and now thoughts of what happened back in the bedroom came back clearly. He was about to stand up and walk back into the room when a loud scream ripped through the air.

Celtic Guardian jumped up and started running back in to the bedroom when Black Luster Soldier barreled into him. The both of them fell to the floor, Celtic Guardian taking most of the collision. Black Luster Soldier looked down quickly, surprised to still see Celtic Guardian in the house.

"What are you still doing here?" he asked, his voice involuntarily breaking somewhat.

Celtic Guardian averted his gaze and shrugged his shoulders. "I….don't know…," he whispered out.

The two of them looked around the room, both being careful to avoid the other's gaze. Black Luster Soldier was the first to sigh and he stood up, brushing off his clothes. He signaled Celtic Guardian to stand up too and he led the both of them to the couch. He sat down and patted the space next to him. Celtic Guardian stared at Black Luster Soldier before sitting down.

"I think we need to talk," Black Luster Soldier said.

Celtic Guardian nodded in agreement. Black Luster Soldier smiled slightly and moved around on the couch until he felt comfortable. "Alright, I guess I'll start. You're probably wondering why I was ignoring you all week long, correct?"

Celtic Guardian nodded his head again, this time more timidly. "I guess. I mean, it think I know but you can go ahead and explain," he said.

Black Luster Soldier's eyes widened slightly before he smiled inwardly. "Of course. I guess….I just thought that it was my fault that-" Black Luster Soldier was suddenly cut off by Celtic Guardian kissing him.

He froze, unable to react as the younger warrior continued to kiss him. Slowly, his eyes started to fall shut and he finally started to kiss him back. Unable to stop himself, he found his body reacting to the kiss in ways he would rather keep to himself. Celtic Guardian broke the kiss and looked down at Black Luster Soldier's lap before looking back up with an undistinguishable look on his face. The older warrior blushed and started to move away when Celtic Guardian held his wrist.

"Everything is fine. I promise," Celtic Guardian whispered quietly.

At first, Black Luster Soldier had thought he was talking about his _problem_ when he looked deep into the younger warrior's eyes. He not only saw lust and desire, but also love and happiness. His eyes widened when he realized that Celtic Guardian didn't even blame him for what happened. He was about to open his mouth to protest when Celtic Guardian grabbed him and pulled him down so that he was straddling him.

"I would rather you open that mouth for another reason," Celtic Guardian whispered slyly before pulling Black Luster Soldier into another kiss.

In their heads, both warriors knew that they weren't done talking yet and that they had A LOT talk about before the atmosphere around them calmed down but they were prepared for whatever the other decided to throw at them.

**A/N: Somebody is probably wondering why I made Black Luster Soldier scream in the story. It's mainly because he was devestated that Celtic Guardian had "walked out" on him. And I know that I made Black Luster REALLY bipolar this chapter but...that's mainly his guilt and his conscious battling each other. One more chapter to go before I'm done with Warrior's Courage though.**


	5. Epilogue

**A/N: This is the epilogue for Warrior's Courage. The epilogue takes place about 5 years after what happened in the last chapter. So, I'm not planning on adding anything after the epilogue. Enjoy :D**

"BLACK LUSTER! It's time for our training exercises!"

Black Luster Soldier walked out of the house, today only wearing his jumpsuit and welding his sword. He had decided that he didn't need his armor, especially when he was going against his own student. He smiled at Celtic Guardian and threw the young warrior his sword. Celtic Guardian caught it with ease and smirked at the older warrior.

"So, are you finally going to teach me all of your secrets to fighting?" Celtic Guardian asked, unable to keep his excitement from his voice.

Black Luster Soldier raised his eyebrow and said, "And give you an excuse to try and cheat your way into beating me? I think not."

Celtic Guardian blushed, bowing his head in embarrassment. Black Luster Soldier smiled and pulled the younger warrior into his arms. He yelped and looked up into the older warrior's eyes. Black Luster Soldier was smiling gently, which caused a smile to appear on Celtic Guardian's face. The older warrior brushed his fingers through the other's hair, which now reached down his back. The shade of the younger warrior's hair had also darken somewhat, now a light brown as opposed to its once blonde color.

"Your hair is getting a bit long. Are you going to cut it?" Black Luster Soldier asked curiously

Celtic Guardian scoffed and wrapped his fingers through Black Luster Soldier long, red hair. "Like you're the poster child for short hair," he said sarcastically.

Black Luster Soldier laughed and twirled the blonde hair in his fingers. "Of course but that's different. You look…..adorable with short hair," he said softly.

"And what? You're saying that I don't look adorable now?" Celtic Guardian asked smartly.

"Of course not," Black Luster Soldier said simply and Celtic Guardian stared at him in outrage.

"You know what-" Celtic Guardian was cut off by Black Luster Soldier kissing him softly.

Celtic Guardian tried not to react to his lover kissing him but he found the battle in vain. His eyes started to flutter and he sighed inwardly before he started to kiss Black Luster Soldier back. The older warrior separated from the other's lips and cradled his head in his hands. "If you had let me finish my thought, I would have said that I don't think you look adorable. Instead you look devilishly handsome, so much so that I worry that I might lose my mind."

Celtic Guardian's eyes widened at the confession before he ducked his head. He could feel his face turning red again and he bit his lips in happiness to the confession. Black Luster Soldier chuckled and caressed the top of the younger warrior's head. The two stayed like this for a few minutes before the older warrior separated himself from the younger. He signalled the younger warrior to back up a couple of feet so that they could start their fight. Celtic Guardian swallowed and nodded at Black Luster Soldier before pulling his sword from his scabbard. Black Luster Soldier admired the younger man while he removed his own sword for their battle.

Celtic Guardian took in a deep breath before staring Black Luster Soldier straight in the eye. Two warriors stood still for several seconds, letting the noises of the forest fill the air around them. The older warrior slid his foot outward a little and Celtic Guardian tensed up. His eyes watched every muscle move in Black Luster's body and he tried to figure out what side to attack first without getting hit in the process. The older warrior moved his body again, this time shifting the his weight to his right leg and Celtic Guardian leaped.

Black Luster Soldier shifted his body slightly and watched as Celtic Guardian started to attack. He smirked inwardly and prepared for his counterattack. He easily read Celtic Guardian fighting style when they first fought and he defeated the other warrior in less than a minute. The other fights after that ended just as fast, if not faster. That little fact constantly worried Black Luster Soldier, especially since it looked like Celtic Guardian didn't even understand the basics to swordfighting, an instinct every warrior was practically born with. From that moment onward, he made it his job to train his lover to make sure he was safe. And while he was happy to teach Celtic Guardian how to fight correctly, the main reasons for teaching Celtic Guardian everything he knew about fighting was because he was worried about another incident similar to what happened five years occurring again. Black Luster Soldier bit the inside of his mouth, banishing the depressing thoughts from his mind.

His mind came back to the fight in time to see celtic Guardian moving in. Celtic Guardian's sword came down towards his left side and Black Luster Soldier rolled his eyes at the younger warrior's obvious attack. He quickly removed his shield attached his back with his left hand and moved in out front in time to intercept the attack. The young warrior's eyes widened considerable before he jumped back. They both carefully watched the other, neither wanting to move first. Black Luster Soldier moved his eyes up and down Celtic Guardian's body, impressed that the young warrior had finally learned how to guard himself and not to give the opponent an opening of any kind- something that the older warrior loved to exploit until Celtic Guardian finally caught on.

They slowly started circling each other, all while still watching the other. Celtic Guardian soon grew tired of the standstill and ran towards the older warrior. Black Luster Soldier looked at his shield briefly before throwing away from his person. If he was going to fight Celtic Guardian for real, than he didn't need his shield, especially when it would just get in the way.

Celtic Guardian decided to attack from the front, something that Black Luster Soldier would either predict easily or something that may catch him off guard since Celtic Guardian rarely attacked from the front. His luck was with him, because Black Luster Soldier not only was caught off guard by the simple attack, but he found that even if he tried to either dodge or block the attack, he would still be injured on someway. Cursing inside his head, the older warrior decided to just dodge the attack. He jumped back, hissing as some of the blade cut the front of his jumpsuit and dug into his chest.

Stumbling backwards, Black Luster Soldier clutched his chest and took in several breaths. He smeared the blood that was starting to collect on his chest on his hands and jumpsuit. Look down at the wound, he decided that he wasn't wounded badly enough to need immediate medical attention. He looked back up just in time to see Celtic Guardian charging towards him again. He pulled his sword out in front of him to block the attack and was pushed back by the force behind the young warrior's attack. Their swords clashed together loudly, the metal vibrating. They stayed where they were, both of them pushing against the other, trying to get the other to yield.

"I'm impressed kid. Looks like you're not a complete failure after all," Black Luster Soldier remarked.

Celtic Guardian smirked and said slyly, "Of course. I had an amazing teacher after all. Maybe you should go meet him."

Black Luster Soldier chuckled darkly and suddenly swung his leg out, tripping the younger warrior. He quickly stood over the young warrior and aimed his sword to Celtic Guardian's neck. The young warrior gasped as he felt the tip of the sword touch his neck and looked up at Black Luster Soldier in surprise. The older warrior had an indistinguishable expression on his face. But even when his face didn't give away any emotion, his eyes were shining in pride.

Celtic Guardian swallowed and asked, "You wouldn't mind taking the sword away from my neck, would you?"

Black Luster Soldier smirked and moved the sword away from the younger warrior's neck. His eyes narrowed and his hand shot out to grab the fist that was aimed for his face. Celtic Guardian's eyes widened and he locked gazes with the older warrior.

"I've been around a lot longer than you Celtic. I think I can figure out when my opponent is going to attack me again," Black Luster Soldier said.

Celtic Guardian blushed and nodded. Black Luster Soldier tightened his hold on the other's wrist. He pulled the younger warrior to his chest and moved his other hand to caress his lover's cheek. Their eyes locked with each other again and Black Luster Soldier couldn't stop himself from capturing Celtic Guardian's lips with his own. The two kissed softly while they held each other. The older warrior's hold on Celtic's wrist loosened and he moved his freed hand to the back of Black Luster Soldier's neck.

Both warriors froze when a change in the air hit them. Black Luster Soldier welded his sword while Celtic Guardian stood beside him, looking deep into the woods. He knew that while he had been training with Black Luster Soldier for the past five years honing his fighting skills, they still weren't up to par withhis lover's. And so, he thought it best to just scan the area for any enemies, since his eyesight was amazing compared to any other warrior. He saw slight movement around a few of the trees and pointed it out to the older warrior. Black Luster Soldier smirked and he disappeared the next moment. Celtic Guardian rolled his eyes but smiled, knowing that the older warrior just felt like showing off.

A few years ago after they officially became a couple, a monster called D.D. Assailant wandered into their forest injured. She had told the warriors that she had just been in a large battle that took place several miles away. They later learned that she was the only survivor left of her clan so Black Luster Soldier let her stay for a couple of weeks. In return for the room and food, she showed up some of the tactics her people used in battle. One of those moves was the ability to move much faster than one's opponent. The move was know Flash Step in the monster realm and only a handful of monsters out of the D.D. clan know the move. Of course, Black Luster Soldier loved to rub it in his face that he was able to do the move whenever he wanted. But Celtic Guardian loved him anyway, even if he was a bit of a showoff.

"HEY! GET YOU HANDS OFF OF ME!"

Celtic Guardian snapped out of his stupor to see Black Luster Soldier dragging somebody out of the forest by the collar. The monster was kicking and screaming, trying to get out of the older warrior's grasp. Black Luster Soldier threw the warrior out on the ground in front of the warriors and Celtic Guardian couldn't contain a gasp.

"Father?" Celtic Guardian asked, kneeling down to check on his father and see if he was injured.

The monster looked up and froze before a look of disdain came across his face. Black Luster Soldier tensed up, now seeing the resemblance between the two warriors. Both of the warriors were wearing the same armor and jumpsuit, although during the five years Celtic Guardian's outfit had changed somewhat, the jumpsuit now a slightly darker tan and the armor much more durable and flexible. Their faces were also almost exactly alike too, except that Celtic's father had a more rugged face and it had more scars than his son's, who's face still had some baby fat and there weren't any scars on his face at all- it never ceases to amaze Black Luster Soldier just how lucky Celtic Guardian is.

The only major difference between the two though was their hair. Where else Celtic's father had short blonde hair that was extremely bright- why a warrior would have blonde hair that bright that it would easily give away his position in any sort of stealth mission, he didn't know-, his son had long, light brown hair.

Black Luster Soldier tuned back into the conversation in time to see the two relatives fighting. Celtic Guardian was cradling the left side of his face on his hand while he was shouting at his father. And while he was trying to hide it, the older warrior could tell that Celtic Guardian was about to cry. The older warrior saw as Celtic's father grabbed Celtic Guardian by the neck and tightened his grip. The younger warrior gasped for breath, clawing at his father's hand. The hand that was holding his face moved down to his father's arm, revealing the black eye that was forming quickly.

Black Luster Soldier decided that enough was enough and he aimed for the pressure point in the other warrior's neck. Celtic Guardian gasped in a large breath as his father's grip loosened considerably. They both fell to the ground and Celtic Guardian clasped his neck in pain. Black Luster Soldier kneeled to the ground, checking the wound on the younger warrior's neck. He saw that the hand print was starting to appear and it would probably be there for a couple of days. He growled out and turned his attention to the unconscious warrior behind him.

"Don't even think about it," Celtic Guardian coughed out.

Black Luster Soldier turned his attention back to Celtic Guardian and scowled. "He _hurt _you. You can not say you don't want me to kill him."

Celtic Guardian sighed and rubbed the wound on his neck. "I know what he's done to me. And what he's done before now was worse. But….I don't want him dead. He's still my father," he whispered out.

"HE HURT YOU! NO FATHER WOULD DO THAT TO HIS SON, EVEN IF HE THOUGHT HE HAD A GOOD REASON!" Black Luster Soldier shouted out.

Celtic Guardian frowned and stood up. He held out his hand towards Black Luster Soldier and the older warrior took the hand without hesitation. He pulled the soldier up to his feet and grabbed a hold of his other hand. The two stood their, holding each other's hands. Celtic Guardian finally worked through his thoughts and looked up at Black Luster. He saw that the older warrior was still red in the face due to anger but he still saw love floating in his eyes. The young warrior smiled gently.

"I know what he did was wrong. Extremely wrong. But I'm not going to fall down to his level by torturing him and then killing him. That would make me no better than him. The same goes for you. I don't want you to go down the same road he went down," Celtic Guardian said passionately.

Black Luster Soldier looked down at Celtic Guardian in surprise. He smiled in joy and swept the younger warrior up into his arms. Celtic Guardian was laughing in surprise and happiness. His arms wrapped around the older warrior's arms and Black Luster Soldier was about to walk back towards the cabin when he felt something grab onto his leg. Looking down, he saw a Bear Trap card attached to his left shin. He looked back to see Celtic Guardian's father smirking. Black Luster Soldier smirked right back and the smirk on the other warrior's face fell quickly. Placing Celtic Guardian down on the ground, Black Luster Soldier pulled his sword out of his scabbard and easily destroyed the trap card.

"H-how….t-that's impossible! You should be destroyed!" the other warrior screamed out.

Black Luster Soldier rolled his eyes at the stupidity of the other warrior. Any monster knew that only monsters with an attack of 2000 or less were destroyed by Bear Trap and the fact that this man thought he would be destroyed by the trap card was both stupid and insulting. He walked up to the warrior, taking way too pleasure in seeing the fear come across the man's face. The man tried to back up but Black Luster Soldier threw his sword down so that the warrior's clothing was stuck in the ground with the sword. He leaned down until he was face to face with the warrior.

He narrowed his eyes and said, "Now listen closely. The only reason that you're not dead right now is solely because of your son. I can guarantee you one thing though. Try that move one more time, with either me or your son, and I will kill you."

The other warrior's face was pale white and he started to break out into a sweat. He nodded and stood up. Celtic's father took one more glance at the two other warriors before he ran back into the forest. Black Luster Soldier scowled at the pathetic warrior and turned back to Celtic Guardian, who had a smile on his face. The older warrior raised his eyebrow at the expression and pulled the warrior to his chest.

"And what are you so happy about brat?" he asked

Celtic Guardian placed his hands on Black Luster Soldier's shoulders and blushed slightly. "I'm proud of you. I know how hard it was to let my father go but you did anyway. Thank you."

"It was nothing. But that show of gratitude deserves a reward of some kind, I think," Black Luster Soldier said slyly.

Celtic Guardian laughed at the older warrior's antics and ran towards the house. "Well, if you want your reward, you need to come catch it first, old man!" he shouted behind him.

"HEY! Who are you calling old man!" Black Luster Soldier exclaimed while chasing after the younger warrior.

_FIN_

**A/N: And that's the end. I didn't expect the story to last even this long (I thought I'd be done with the story after 3 chapters or so.) But I'm happy with the result. And to explain why Celtic Guardian chose to stay with Black Luster Soldier instead of returning to his village, it is because he is Black Luster's mate. I know that people who have read either Magician's Spell or Dragon's Heart realized I never actually talked about mates until Chapter 4, I believe. But the two of them are mates. Also, his village and his family didn't really like Celtic Guardian solely on the fact that he was a pacifist. **

**And for anybody who is wondering whether or not Celtic Guardian is still a pacifist or not, he is in a way. He will go into combat like he used to but he won't kill anybody unless his own life is in danger. He doesn't love fight (or like or really) except when he has his practice fights with Black Luster Soldier**.


End file.
